As people become more connected to their ancestry through the Internet and genealogical research they also begin to look for names for their children that are a part of that heritage.
Those who have a Scottish background that may already be evident through a last name like Campbell, MacDonald, Stewart, or Cameron may want to consider a name of Scottish origin for their child. Scottish given names often originate from colors, plants, nature, place names, historical and mythological figures, or they may have religious origins.
If there is a baby boy in your future and you are looking for a Scottish name for him you may find a traditional Scottish name in old church registers or censuses, or you might want to consider one of the following names.
Alistair- meaning “protector of mankind”
Camden- meaning “from the winding vail”
Chalmers- meaning “son of the Lord”
Douglas- meaning “from the dark water”
Drummond- from a surname meaning, “ridge”
Duncan- meaning “brown warrior”
Finlay- meaning “fair hero, or sunbeam”
Frasier- meaning “a Frisian, or strawberry”
Gavin- derivative of Gawain, meaning, “white hawk”
Kinnon- possibly meaning “ancient”
Laird- -meaning “lord, landed gentry”
Leith- meaning “wide river”
Malcolm- meaning “Columba’s servant”
Payton- from a surname meaning “Poega’s Ridge”
Quinn- derivative of Conn, meaning “chief”
Reid- variant of Reed, meaning, “ruddy”
Ross- meaning “from the peninsula”
Shaw- possibly means “admirable” or “hawk-like”
Sloan- from a surname meaning, “raid”
You may want to follow the Scottish naming tradition of calling your first son and second daughter after their paternal grandparents and calling your eldest daughter and second son after their maternal grandparents. Or, you may want to choose a unique name with a Scottish origin for your baby girl.
Aila- meaning, “from the strong place”
Aileana- meaning “light bearer”
Ailsa- meaning “island dweller”
Ainsley- from a surname meaning “Anne’s field” or “hermitage field”
Catriona- meaning “pure”
Daracha- variant of Dara, meaning “oak tree”
Fiona- meaning “fair”
Greer- meaning “vigilant”
Ilisa- meaning “consecrated to God”
Iseabal- meaning “consecrated to God”
Kenzie- meaning “the fair one”
Kyla- feminine form of Kyle, meaning “narrows, strait, or channel”
Maira- meaning “bitter”
Maisie- meaning “pearl”
Moira- meaning “great”
Nairna- meaning “dwells at the alder tree river”
Rossalyn- meaning “promontory”
Teva- meaning “twin”
When choosing a name for your child you may want to take a moment to try and picture them with the name at each stage of their life. Does it fit them in every aspect of their life ahead? You should also choose a name that is relatively easy to pronounce. That doesn’t mean it cannot be unusual, it just is not much fun to have to correct every teacher or receptionist who calls your name for the rest of your life.
Naming a baby seems like an enormous responsibility, but it comes with the satisfaction of knowing that you are giving your child the name that will see them through the rest of their life. And there is always that middle name if the first name doesn’t work out!
